In The Shadow of The Past
by Miss Tetra
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Zara knows that the past affects the future but did she ever imagine it would be so drastic? R
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. This is my first fanfic so I hope you like it. It may not seem like it has anything to do with any of the Zelda characters but they come into the story a little later. Please R & R. Enjoy.

Disclaimer – I don't own Zelda. Don't sue me.

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Lillian heard the front door slowly open and close as she washed the breakfast dishes.

"Back so soon dear?" She asked, without even turning around. When her answer didn't come, she turned around. Instead of her husband, she saw her sixteen-year-old daughter, Zara.

"Hi," Zara said meekly. Her long auburn hair with faint golden highlights was frizzy and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was pale despite her exotic complexion. She was a Gerudo.

"Well, you're home earlier than I expected," Lillian said with sarcasm. "What's your excuse?"

"Well," Zara began as she hurried to think of a good alibi, "I was hungry and I ran out of money so I came home." Zara was actually anything but hungry. She spent the night in Hyrule Field with her friend Katherine. Both of them had gotten drunk and rather than going home and burdening their parents, they slept next to the Zora River. Needless to say, they didn't sleep well that night.

"Well, since you're hungry, what do you want for lunch?" Lillian asked figuring that Zara was making this all up as she went along.

"Um…" Zara started. She knew her mother had caught on to her lie. 

"Okay, salad it is then," Lillian said as she walked over to the pantry. Zara was really testing her patience now.

As her mother prepared the salad, Zara began to think of the previous night. She, Katherine, and Katherine's brother Anthony, all went out to dinner in the castle market town. To her frustration, she remembered that she had way too much to drink and a salad.

Zara sat down at the table and within a few minutes, Lillian set a bowl of salad down in front of her, She couldn't bring herself to eat it so she just sat there, staring at it.

"Is there something wrong with your food dear? Would you like some dressing?" Lillian asked.

"No, it's fine. Dressing does sound nice though." Zara said hoping that the dressing might mask the real taste of the food.

Lillian took the bottle of dressing from the cupboard and poured some onto Zara's salad. By pure coincidence it was the same kind that Zara had last night, She began to feel queasy at the thought. After mentally preparing herself, she hesitantly picked up her fork and took a bite. With her mouth still full she managed to get out a helpless and disgusted, "I can't eat this."

"That's what I thought. What is your real excuse then?"

"Katherine and I got drunk and we spent the night throwing up in the Zora River. Anthony ran off, but I'm not sure where to. I didn't want to come home because I knew you would be disappointed with me and I didn't want to embarrass you," Zara mumbled.

"How could they have abandoned you like that? Don't they know it's dangerous out there at night? You should have come home! Just because Gandondorf's gone doesn't mean people like him aren't still out there," Lillian lectured.

"I'm not a baby anymore. I can take care of myself."

"I know but I wish you were more careful."

"Why must you constantly lecture me? Do you get some sort of sick pleasure from yelling at me when I do the slightest thing wrong? Why can't you be like Katherine and Anthony' parents?" 

For as long as Zara could remember, Lillian and her father, Jacob, had always been really overprotective of her. She figured that that was because she was an only child.

"Stop while you're ahead, Zara," Lillian warned.

"I'm not gonna," Zara said defiantly, "I know tons of people who are only children. Why should I be treated any differently than they are?"

Lillian and Zara stood there just staring at each other. Zara could tell by the look on her mother's face that she was on her last nerve. Anything that Zara would say now would probably push her over the edge. Finally, Lillian spoke.

"My opinions on raising children are a lot different that your friend's parents. I think I am doing what is best for you."

"How could you even say that?!" Zara exploded, "You don't have the kind of wisdom that my friend's parents have. You're only 33! You must have been only a teenager when you adopted me. What were you thinking?! Why didn't you have your own kids? I bet you weren't even married."

That was it; Lillian had had enough of Zara's stubbornness. "You don't even know the circumstances!" Lillian said harshly.

"What circumstances?" Zara said. She had no clue what her mother was talking about.

After a long pause, Lillian spoke, "I knew I'd have to tell you eventually, but I didn't think it would be so soon."

"What are you talking about?" Zara said utterly puzzled. What had her mother kept from her?

"The special circumstances surrounding your adoption," Lillian said vaguely.

"You always told me you adopted me from the orphanage in the castle market town. What else is there to know about it?" Zara asked as she began jumping to conclusions. What the hell could she be talking about? 

"Here, sit down. This may take a while," Lillian said as she pulled out a chair for herself and sat down. 

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So what do you think of it so far? The more good reviews the sooner I'll get it out so if you liked it let me know. 

And remember – Review or Die! (WickedOne and Storm-Child made that up but I feel like using it).


	2. Chapter 2

I am proud to say that it has taken me 92 days (or 13 weeks + 1 day or 3 months) to write type and edit this chapter. I knew it would take me long but I never imagined this long.

I'd like to thank Elendil Star-Lover and AngelKalyna for giving this story and chance and reviewing it. It would have probably taken longer for me if you guys hadn't reviewed. You like me! You really like me! ^ _ ^

Disclaimer – If I owned Zelda, I would have made it a movie…(hint hint Mr. Miyamoto)

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"This is what really happened. I didn't feel you would understand 'til you were older. I think now it's time that you knew the truth."

            "What's such a big deal that you couldn't tell me before?" Zara asked.  

"I think you'll see why after I tell you," Lillian explained. She closed her eyes and winced a bit as if the memories were causing her physical pain.

            "It was a very dark time in Hyrule," Lillian began, "All the races were at war – except the Kokori. They're so sheltered and oblivious in their forest that they probably didn't even know that there was a war going on.

            "The war started when I was 13 and ended when I was 18.  When I was 14 my father was drafted into the Hylian army. A little less than a year later, my mother received a package from the army's general. As soon as she saw the sheen of my father's polished bronze helmet, she broke down. She couldn't bring herself to read the letter that came with it. I read it, but burned it soon afterwards. I didn't think my mother would ever be able to bring herself to read it, no matter how many years passed. I was right; she was never the same again.

            "When I was 17, I got a job working as Impa's secretary and assistant.

            "My mother didn't want me to take the job. It was still quite dangerous, even inside the village walls, and I was the only family she had left. It took awhile, but I finally convinced her."

            "Sorry, but what does this have to do with me?" Zara interrupted.

            "Shh…" Lillian said putting a finger to her lips, "I was just getting to that part."

            "Well, I had been working for a few months. I wrote letters, filed documents, and scheduled appointments with Impa for the villagers.

            "One day, in mid-summer, I was very busy writing a letter. It took a while to get everything worded right and by the time I was done, it was already nightfall. I grabbed my purse and Impa said:

            'I'm so grateful to have you working here as my assistant, especially since I'm spending much more time at the castle. The queen is battling a fierce illness. We have known each other for a while and I feel obligated to help the king take care of his daughter until she is well. I can sleep well while I'm there knowing that I have such a responsible young lady taking care of the village.'

            'Thank you,' I replied, 'Goodnight.' 

            'Goodnight,' she replied as I walked out the door.

            "I took the letter to Peter's house. He was the town messenger. He and his family lived in what we now call "The House of Skulltula". I dropped the letter off and he promised to deliver it in the morning.

            "Then, I started on my way home. I tried to hurry home as fast as I could. It wasn't really safe for a girl of my build to be wandering around unarmed and late at night.

            "I was in one of the main streets that fed into the open area in the front of the village. The tree that is there now was only a sapling at the time.

            "As I was walking along, I heard a soft thudding on the ground. I quickly ducked behind a nearby house and peeked over the side.

            "I could hear the thudding gradually getting louder and soon I saw a figure running through the village gates. It had to be a person. The person began moving slower and slower until it finally stopped. I thought it had seen me because it was facing in my direction.  I quickly pulled my head over the side and prayed to the goddesses that it hadn't seen or heard me. Then, I heard a loud thump. I peeked my head over again and there was the person, collapsed on the ground. Instinctively, I ran over toward it. When I got close enough to tell, I saw that not only was it a woman, but a Gerudo woman as well. I recoiled at the sight. 

            "_Gerudos, the people that murdered my father. How dare they set foot in our village, _I thought.

            "When my back was turned, I heard a muffled cry.  I turned around and walked back over to the woman. I crouched down beside her and I heard another cry. This time, I was positive; there had to be something under her. I placed my hand on her upper arm and attempted to roll her over.

             "She seemed to be fairly muscular, but with very little effort, her body turned over. As I did, her hand fell back from right below her left breast. I gasped and my hand covered my mouth when I saw the sight that was directly in front of me. Her hand was covered in a dark substance and I could tell from its metallic scent that it was blood. It hadn't clotted and it was trickling down her beautiful purple garments.

            "Once again, I heard a cry but it was much louder this time. 

            "Beside me, there was a beige bundle. I picked it up and undid the top layer. I remember my jaw dropping a little as I saw a tear-streaked face and a pair of intense red-."

            Lillian stopped suddenly when Zara pushed herself away from the table and stormed out of the house, slamming the door on the way out.

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Was it worth the wait? Review and tell me what you thought.


	3. Chapter 3

            I'm back! I'm really happy that I finished this chapter. IMHO I think this is the best chapter yet! Since this chapter is extra long, chapter 4 will be a "mini-chapter".  Just to let you know, I made a name correction in chapter 1. There is no one in the story named James.

            As for reviews, I am happy that I got one! Yay! Just remember: Reviews = Motivation and Motivation = Chapters.

            pfsoccer77: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you will continue to read despite my laziness. 

            Disclaimer: If I owned Zelda, I would have made Link and Zelda make out in the end of OoT! (but that's just me…hehe)

            Now on with the story!

            * * *

"How could she keep something like that from me?" Zara said out loud as she stormed through the village. This day just kept getting worse and worse. 

            At last she came to the stables. Despite her bad day, a small smile came to her face as she walked inside. She walked down the long central aisle to stable number 7.Waiting inside was her horse, Pazia. 

            Zara got Pazia when she was 15. She was a traditional Gerudo mare that her parents purchased from Lon Lon Ranch for her birthday.

            _I don't even have a real birthday anymore._ Zara thought back to the day she was blindfolded and led to the stables, where she received Pazia. Grabbing her saddlebag, she mounted her horse. She decided on her walk to the stables that she wasn't going to give her mother or anyone else a chance to follow her.

            She galloped out of the village and down the stone staircases to Hyrule Field. Though she had been there many times before, the sight still took her breath away.  The sun was shining down proudly, the grass was emerald green, and there was a light breeze. It was a beautiful. It comforted her a bit, knowing that she lived in such a wonderful place. Then she remembered the events that had transpired that morning and the sun seemed as if it were now mocking her.

            She stopped Pazia and opened her saddlebag, which had been hanging from her shoulder. She gave a relieved sigh as she saw a towel, a bar of soap, and fresh clothes.

            She urged Pazia back up to a gallop and they set off across the field.

            As she crossed the Zora River, her eyes settled on the spot where she rested the night before. She closed her eyes to keep from getting queasy. She looked away and then headed south following the river.

            * * *

            Within 45 minutes, she made it to her destination; a small blue pond that the river flowed into.

            She dismounted, grabbing her saddlebag and tied Pazia's reins to a tree.

            Zara slipped off her shoe and dipped her foot into the clear water. The water felt cool against her skin. She traced the ripples with her finger as a small fish chased it. Then she pulled her foot out and stepped backwards. She casually looked around, slipped off her clothes, and slid into the water.

            She gave a relaxed sigh and closed her eyes. It felt good to take a bath. She felt grimy from last night's excursion. She decided she'd just soak for a while to clear her mind, wash up, and then go to Katherine's house to hang out.

            She figured she'd just unwind now and let the water soothe her mind.

            * * *

            After about 15 minutes of organizing her thoughts, Zara heard the sound of beating horse hooves.

            She opened her eyes quickly and looked around, her eyes readjusting to the light. Pazia was still there grazing. She looked south and saw a small dust cloud.

            Zara reached out of the water for her saddlebag. She pulled out her towel and placed it on the grass.     Then, she took a deep breath and went under the water, with only her eyes above.

            The dust cloud was getting larger and soon she could make out two horses.

            Zara then ducked under the water, making quick peeks. She could see the horses clearly now, one black and one chestnut, with a lone rider on each.

            _Go away, go away, go away, _Zara told herself as she ducked under the water. She could feel the vibrations from the horses. She grabbed her towel and pulled it into the water around herself, not feeling like exposing herself to anyone.

            The vibrations got harder and harder as if it were an earthquake and the water rippled around her. Suddenly, the shaking stopped.

            Cautiously she peered above the water. To her embarrassment, it was Ben and Anthony.

            "Ahh…we found her. I'm sure my mom'll be happy with me," Ben said confidently. Ben was Zara's cousin but his parents were killed during Ganondorf's reign so Zara's parents took him in as their own.

            "Anthony…Ben? What are you guys doing out here so early? You're usually still asleep at this hour of the day," Zara said shifting her eyes to Ben. She could feel her cheeks growing bright red in their presence.

            "Yeah," Anthony said making a dramatic fake yawn with his arms stretched back far beyond his light brown hair, "We would still be asleep if it weren't for you and my sister. Everyone was really upset you know."

            "Hello, Anthony! You let us get drunk and then you abandoned us! If it's any ones fault it's yours for leaving us there alone!" Instantly she regretted her words. _He was probably hanging out with Marisol_, a voice in her head taunted, _because Marisol is his girlfriend._

            "I was visiting with Marisol in a different pub and I went back later to look for you guys but you were gone," he reasoned. _See, he was,_ the voice came again.

            "You two can finish this later. Right now, we need to get you back to Mom. She's probably going to yell at you," Ben said not bothering to wipe the smug smile off his face. Zara couldn't understand why Anthony would want to be friends with someone like Ben.

            "She already has," Zara mumbled, her mind shifting back to the story, "Besides, I'm going to see Katherine now." She got out of the water and began putting her clean clothes on behind Pazia.

            "Yeah, right," Ben retorted.

            "I'm serious Ben!  I did go home and she launched into this whole lecture," Zara said. She wasn't feeling ready to tell Ben about the story.

            When Zara finished changing, she grabbed her saddlebag and mounted Pazia. Then she started trotting off in the direction of Kakariko Village. She could see Ben and Anthony urging their horses on most likely to catch up with her.

            "And where do you think you're going?" Ben said as he came up beside her and grabbed Pazia's reins from Zara.

            "To Katherine's" she replied as she tugged the reins from Ben's hand and started off into a gallop.

            "We'll see about that!" Ben called. Zara turned around and from what she could tell, they weren't making any attempt to catch her. Not that she would have let them anyway.

            _He'll check in with Mom and find out that I wasn't lying so Ha! _She thought to herself confidently as she rode back to Kakariko.

            * * *

            In an hour, Zara found herself knocking on Katherine's door. She had seen Ben and Anthony ride into the village about 15 minutes ago. She hurried out of sight before they could drag her home.

            The door opened and Katherine was standing in front of her.

            "Hey," Katherine said giving Zara a half smile and a sleepy wave.

            "Hey, how are you feeling?" Zara replied as she thought back to last night again. She could tell Katherine was thinking the same thing by the look that came across her face.

            "Not great 'cause my mom shoved tons of food down my throat," She groaned. 

            "You won't believe what my mom told me!" Zara exclaimed. She was more than eager to spill the story – her story – now.

            "Let's go down to my room where we can talk in privacy." Katherine said glancing over her shoulder at her mother who sat at the kitchen table reading.

            When in Katherine's room, Zara began to tell her the story, skipping the unnecessary details her mother had thrown in. Everything spilled out faster and faster and Katherine sat there, half in shock, with her hand covering her mouth.

            Soon grief had overcome Zara's initial anger and she began crying, her face buried in one of the pillows on Katherine's bed.

            "I…can't believe it," Zara choked out, "Just…left me…in the dark,"

            "I bet she told you about getting you from the orphanage with the full intent of telling you the real story someday. Can you imagine her telling you that story when you were younger?" Katherine rationalized.

            Zara sat there and thought for a minute. That was what she liked about Katherine. She always saw things at a different angle and she never said things to make Zara feel bad about being so closed-minded. "I guess you're right," she said as she wiped at her tear-streaked and blotchy face.

            They sat in silence for a few moments until Katherine spoke up once again. 

            "You know what you should do? You should go to the fortress. I'm sure someone could help fill you in on the rest of the story."

            Zara thought about it. At first it seemed crazy. _It would never work. _The more she thought about it though, the more it made sense. _Maybe it's just crazy enough to work._

            I'd need someone to go with me though. My mom would never let me go by myself." Zara said, the thought almost ruining her recently found good mood.

            You could have Ben go with you," Katherine suggested, "She couldn't say no to that."

 Zara sighed. Ben would be no fun. She'd rather not go at all than go with Ben. "I wouldn't be able to do anything with Ben there. You know how overprotective he is." 

            They both thought to themselves. They didn't have many male friends and those that they did were friends of Ben and Anthony first…

            "How about…Anthony?" Zara said trying to sound as innocent as possible.

            "No…Zara…I thought you were over him. I know this isn't what you want to hear but he is really not a nice guy. I've seen what he's done to nice girls. He goes through them like water, breaking their hearts left and right. I can almost guarantee that Marisol will be over within a week. I'd stay away from him if I were you." Katherine warned. She paused to let everything she said sink in. "I'm only saying this because I'm your friend and I don't want you to get hurt."

            Zara sighed again. "I know…" She knew deep down that Katherine was right even though she didn't want to admit it. Anthony acted like he was interested in everyone. It was foolish of her to think that he even remotely liked her.

            "Besides," Katherine said bringing in another fact to help get Zara's mind off of her brother, "I've heard you need a membership card to pass through the valley and Anthony doesn't have one."

            "I don't think I know anyone who does…" Zara murmured. She was just beginning to realize that it would be a lot harder to find someone that she initially thought.

            After a few more minutes of the brainstorming, Katherine came up with another idea.

            "You could post messages on the bulletin boards inside the shops. It could read: WANTED: One handsome single male (under 25) with Gerudo membership card willing to escort a beautiful girl to her homeland. Please contact Zara." She said with lots of hand gestures. She and Zara started giggling and soon they were both laughing hysterically.

            "We better get down to business then. Let's go find some paper!" Zara said with a sly smile. 

           * * *  
                       What will happen next!? Who will answer the message!? (Hmmm...that's a hard one! ^_^)


	4. Chapter 4

            You're probably wondering where I've been (or maybe you're not). School has been a huge pain so far this year and I still haven't broke my procrastination problem. Sorry if you've been waiting for a new chapter.

            Anyway, this chapter is longer than I expected so I hope you enjoy it.

            Disclaimer – See chapters 1, 2, or 3

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            A few weeks had passed and Zara still hadn't received an answer from any of the messages she had posted around town. She wasn't sure if she would get any replies; right now the odds looked as if they were against her, especially since she knew no one with a membership card. She had other more important things on her mind, though.

            "Where did you say my mom was buried again? Wasn't it somewhere on the left side of the graveyard?"

            Lillian turned around from the stove and stared at Zara. It was the first thing she had said about her mother since the day that they had talked. Zara tiled her head to the side and looked back at her mom.

            "You know…the day after you found me…the villagers founder her and wanted to burn her body. But you stopped them, saying that she didn't hurt anyone and she deserved a proper burial."

            "Zara, you walked out on me that day a few weeks ago before I could finish. I never got to that part of the story. Did you ask your father about that?"

            "Um…" she began. She could have sworn her mother had told her about that. "Yeah, he did."

            Lillian turned around and went back to cooking. The only think breaking the silence between them was the violent bubbling of the water on the stove.

            "So, she is buried there, right?" Zara asked still trying to figure out how she'd known that. She had never talked to her father about what she and her mother had discussed.

            "Yes, she's the third one on the left." Lillian replied. "Do you plan on visiting her grave?"

            "Yeah, I was thinking I could stop by later this afternoon."

            "Do you want some money to buy flowers for her grave? I'm sure that would be nice."

            "No, thanks. I have my own."

* * *

            Later that afternoon, Zara was making her way through the village. I was a Wednesday, so there was a cart outside selling flowers. 

            "Hey, Zara" a voice came from behind her. Almost immediately her heart skipped a beat. She turned around to find Anthony.

            "Hi, Anthony," she said, trying hard to keep her cool. After talking with Katherine that day a few weeks ago, she decided she was going to move on from him and find someone else. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done.

            "What are the flowers for?" Anthony inquired.

            "Nothing," Zara said as she turned back around and began looking through the flowers again. She was hoping that that would end their conversation.

            "Aww…come on, you can tell me," he said flirtatiously as he draped his arm loosely around her shoulders and moved to stand by her side.

            _Resist temptation_, she told herself. "Actually, I'd rather not," Zara said as she gingerly removed Anthony's arm from around her. She picked up a small bouquet of Stargazer Lilies and headed to the makeshift counter to pay.

            "Zara…you've been ignoring me since the day Ben and I say you in that pond. Did Katherine say something to you?" Anthony said as Zara paid.

            Zara turned to face Anthony. "She said nothing to me about you."

            "Why don't you come with me; we can work everything out," he said with a sly smile as he put his arm around her waist and brought her in closer.

            _Zara, this is what you've been waiting for. If you don't go with him now, you may never get the change again_, she thought to herself, but then she had second thoughts. _You're nobody to him. Katherine wouldn't lie to you about something like that. Besides having a boyfriend with a wandering eye is a burden that I don't need right now._

"I really gotta go," she said as she broke free of his grasp and jogged off in the direction of the graveyard.

            Anthony stood there, staring in her direction. Girls normally couldn't get enough of him. Zara's resistance intrigued him and he decided to see why she was in such a hurry.

* * *

            As Zara got father away from Anthony and closer to the graveyard, she slowed down a bit.

            Clouds had begun to move in and it looked as if it would rain any second. She hadn't planned on staying very long because the graveyard was a pretty shady place but the threatening rain made her decide that she was just going to drop off the flowers and say a quick prayer.

            It seemed to get darker as she entered the graveyard. She could hear the crashes of thunder in the distance. 

            Zara walked over to the left row of graves. She got an eerie feeling just being there. She knelt down in front of the third grave and brushed off the leaves that covered it. Despite the thin layer of caked-on dirt, she could still read it. It read:

                                                                                                      Here Lies

                                                                                                       JETHRA

                                                                                    May her soul rest eternally with Din

            Zara gave a disappointed sigh as she leaned back on her legs. She felt like she had known that name forever. She had hoped that it would have been something more exciting.

            Zara felt a few cold drops of rain hit her skin. She remembered that she wanted to make this visit a short one, so she hastily untied the string that held the bouquet of flowers together and leaned the flowers up against the headstone. After saying a quick prayer, she stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.

            "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?" A voice came from behind her.

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            How was it? Review and tell me.


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